A guide to visiting Angel’s Billabong Nusa Penida – Bali

Nusa Penida is an island which is located on southeast of Indonesia of Bali island. It consists of many small islands which have spectacular and scenic viewpoints. A popular place to visit out of the three Nusa islands has always been the Angel’s Billabong Nusa Penida, which is a set of huge rocks or you can say an edge of a cliff. It is located in southwest of Nusa Penida. We stayed on the island for 4 nights and got to see all the best things to do in Nusa Penida. If you don’t want to stay on island, you can do a one day trip to Nusa Penida from Bali.

It is located near the Broken Beach, it also called Pasih Uug in the Indonesian local language. Between the rocks flows a lagoon crystal clear pools where you can swim and soak the sun. The water is so clear that you can see the pattern of the rocks beneath the surface. Just be sure to swim when it is low tide as there are many sharp rocks around and there has been deaths at the billabong!

Why it is called Angel’s Billabong?

As you stand on the start of the rock formation you will able to see two huge rocks meeting at the end of the end the pool. This is called the infinity pool because after the edge, the ocean starts. So, the two rocks look like the wings of an angel. You have to use your imagination too and you have to stand on the right position to get a great view. In English, Billabong means tip, after the tides get low the tip of the river occurs.

How to get to Angel’s Billabong?

It is on the west coast of the Nusa Penida. You can take a fast boat or a cruise from any port. The regular speed boats travel daily between Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida – The three Nusa islands. The ticket fare 175,000 IDR for each person and you get to Billabong within 1 hour depending upon weather conditions in Nusa Penida.

If you leave early morning from Bali you will will have a smooth boat ride. And it is recommended that you leave back for your hotel before sunset, if you leave after or near sunset you can meet a lot of tides which can happen to be an unpleasant and rough sail.

You can also rent a bike or a scooter which can cost up to 70,000 IDR for a specific period of time. If you are travelling via a scooter or a bike you have to cross through Banjar Sumpang and you will have to ask people around for directions to reach there.

When you reach the Angel’s Billabong Nusa Penida entrance, you just have to pay parking fee of your ride which is (5000 IDR to 10,000 IDR). You can also rent a car on Nusa Penida for ($30 USD). While walking towards the Billabong you will also cross the Broken Beach and Manta Ray Viewpoint. Although, all the fee and charges mentioned, all are negotiable, depending upon your bargaining skills, have fun with this one. You can also book your tour with the local tour island guide in Bali or Nusa Penida.

Best time to visit Angels Billabong for the low tide

If you want to see the Angel’s Billabong low tide and less crowded you need to reach the Billabong by (9am) and experience the silence of the crystal water and low tide. If you want to see the high tide you need to reach there in the afternoon but you will also meet a lot of other tourists.

It is also recommended to visit Indonesia, Bali between April and October. The rainy seasons in Bali is from July to September, but it can be still visited because it doesn’t rain all the time.

There is been deaths on Angels’s Billabong, so make sure you visit with extreme cation in the billabong high tide as it can be really dangerous near the edge. Also, the billabong cliff is a really cool spot to take a photo, so just be careful if you’re taking a photo from up there!

Useful Tips for Nusa Penida’s Billabong

Here are some useful tips that you should keep in mind:

• Take plenty of water with you as you have to hike towards your destination and there a lot heat.
• Take an umbrella with you in case you have visited Bali in monsoon season, and it is also useful for resisting heat.
• Wear a set of nice joggers for hiking and also keep a spare set of flip flops with you if you want to walk in the water.
• Take some bandages with you, as the tip of the rocks are really sharp.
• You should charge your phone’s battery to full.
• Make sure you have a power bank with you charged at all time, in case your phone’s battery runs out.
• Have a flashlight with you and an extra pair of battery for the flashlight.
• Keep money with you at all times.
• Keep snacks with you also, something to nibble on.
• While walking on the rocks, test the rock with your feet more than 1 time to make sure that it is firmly stick to the ground.
• Avoid the seaweed covered rocks, they can be slippery.
• Keep sunglasses with you because the glare of the sun on the water can cause you difficulty in seeing properly.
• Take some extra clothes and towels with you, if you want to swim you want to keep yourself dry.
• Take an epic camera!!
• Download your offline route.
• Keep a tank of your ride full.
• While riding a scooter or a bike, it very necessary to wear a helmet, knee and arm pads because the roads are not paved and are very rocky.
• Do not stand very closely to the edge of the pool, because at any time high tide can occur and it can become very unsteady for you.
• Delay your trip if the weather is bad on Nusa Penida.
• I would take a drone.

Hotels Near Angel’s Billabong

If you want to stay on Nusa Penida overnight or view the sunset or sunrise you need to find yourself a fine hotel nearby. Here is a list of some epic and comfortable hotels:

The Nusa Penida treehouse unbelievable accommodation is located in one of the sweetest places on this magical Bali island. The Nusa Penida treehouse (Rumah Pohoon) is an ideal luxury place to stay If you’re looking for a magical setting.Staying at the Rumah Pohon treehouse, you will have the opportunity to sleep in the trees in a quirky room. Whilst the sun drops into the horizon in front of your eyes.

The Rama Home Stay: it costs $17 for 24 hours.

Bintang Hostel and Homestay: it costs $27 for 24 hours.

Tarzan Marriot: it costs $24 for 24 hours, although this hotel is on the coast of Nusa Penida but it is considerably near to Angel’s Billabong.

Sunrise Penida Hill: it costs $29 for 24 hours.

Ananta Bungalow: it costs $25 for 24 hours.

All hotels have a very friendly staff and can provide room at any time of the day or night. If you didn’t place your booking you can still access any of these hotels. All of these hotels offer free Wi-Fi. You can also get a pretty decent Airbnb.

How to get to from Sanur pier (Bali) to Nusa Penida

1. I travelled from Mainland Bali to Nusa Penida and paid for each part of the journey separately. After arriving in Seminyak from England, we decided to just stay here for one night and then head straight to Nusa Penida from Seminyak.
2. We used one of the local stands on the street to book the boat ride towards Nusa Penida. You may be a little sceptical about these salesmen stood in huts on the street, but ours was fine. You should’nt have any trouble.
3. The first payment got me a taxi from my hotel to the boat and then the boat to Lembongan and this cost just 300,000 Rupiah per person which is roughly $22.
4. Then from Nusa Lembongan to Nusa Penida there is a private hire boat which cost just 50,000 Rupiah per person roughly $4.
5. I took this journey as I was staying in Nusa Penida for close to a week. However, you can make a visit from mainland Bali for a Nusa Penida one day tour which you can get for 330,000 Rupiah which is roughly $24.
6. Top Tip – Nusa Penida is a fantastic island to visit even if it’s just for the day, however if you can try and visit and stay for a few nights, that way you cant take in the breathtaking spots, enjoy the culture of the island and get a feel for the way of life on there. You will not regret it.

Different Nusa Penida Beaches & Bays on Route to the Angel rock formation

If you are looking for what to do on Nusa Penida check out these two tourist locations;

Angel’s Billabong Sunset Viewpoint

You can ask around and go to the sunset viewpoint, on reaching there you will find a swing facing towards east coast. It gives a great view of taking memorable pictures.

Manta Ray Viewpoint

After a little walking distance of maximum 5 to 10 minutes you will see an alley made of trees. And after crossing these trees you will reach the Manta Ray. It is a huge cliff from where you can see the Indian Ocean from the edge of the cliff.

The Broken Beach

The amazing broken beach is next to Angel’s billabong, so you will get to see both on the same journey. The stunning rock formation is sweet for epic photos and videos. You can do a cool walk around the broken beach and check out the amazing scenery from all angles.  Backpackers travel from all over Bali to see this amazing place. Nusa Penida is a backpacker’s dream. The things you will see and the memories you will make are out-of-this-world. The island has so many awesome photo opportunities.

1. Crystal Bay: it is a famous snorkeling site on Nusa Penida.
2. Atuh Beach: it is a beach where all the traditional cuisines are made live on the side of the beach.
3. Peguyana Waterfall: it is also known as the ‘Blue Stairway to Heaven’. It also has a stair case for making the hike and trekking easy.

Conclusion

If you are visiting Nusa Penida, then you have got to check out this amazing tourist area. It is a really cool natural location on the island.

The Nusa islands are getting more and more popular with tourism. I put this factor down to social media. The picture oppotuiniets on these islands are out of this world. To me they have some of the best beaches in Bali and the rest of the world!

I can’t wait to visit this number one place in Bali again!

For one of the best beaches in Bali check out Kelingking Beach: